Personal computing devices, whether in the form of personal computers, laptops, smart phones, gaming devices, liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions with gaming consoles, have become so common in everyday life that they are almost an essential part of a user's experience in the workforce, at home, on travel, or in other places or other occasions. Personal computing and processing powers have become more powerful, more flexible, and more dynamic as users today can take advantage of software applications ranging from work-related word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and financial and tax preparation software to photo and video storage and editing, graphics, research, mapping, and increasingly sophisticated gaming applications, to name only a few of the many applications available today.
As personal computing has grown more ubiquitous and their applications more diverse, so have the means of inputting, editing, and controlling information into personal computing devices. Most users still largely rely on physical keyboards, which are connected by wire or wirelessly to the personal computing device. Keyboards are relatively simple, reliable, generally inexpensive, and somewhat ergonomically designed devices, which operate by closing a switch each time a particular key is pressed and transmitting the data or function corresponding to that key to the personal computing device. Traditional keyboards have a number of disadvantages; for example, keyboards take up space on the user's workspace, add weight to laptops and other mobile computing devices, and, when integrated into a laptop or other mobile computing device, can seriously degrade the mobile computing device if exposed to moisture or experience other damage. Touchscreen keypads may offer a lightweight alternative for some smart phones, tablets, and other mobile devices, but they are unlikely to entirely replace the need for a separate keyboard or input device of some kind. Touchscreens require typing on the display itself, are fragile, and can degrade with use. Furthermore, touchscreen keyboard may not properly operate in certain temperatures or humidity, or in instances where users have wet fingers or wearing gloves.
Mobile computing devices typically include a mouse, touchpad, trackball, or similar device to supplement the use of a keyboard. A mouse, for example, can be used to facilitate scrolling, rapidly moving the cursor to a desired location, selecting or moving objects, and helpful functions. However, a mouse or touchpad has limited functionality, and cannot replace the broad range of keys or commands that can be input through a keyboard.
Other, sensor-based input devices are also becoming increasingly common. One example is the virtual keyboard, which uses sensors to detect and interpret hand movements over a laser-projected “keyboard,” so that the user can input letters, numbers, and functions just as if he or she were using a physical keyboard. Another example is the Leap Motion Controller®, which uses lasers, stereoscopic cameras, and motion detection software to detect and interpret hand movements and gestures. Those hand movements can be used, for example, for scrolling through pages or applications, selecting specific functions, moving images on a liquid crystal display, or playing games, to name a few examples. Microsoft's Kinect® uses cameras to detect the user's hand gestures or facial or body movements, and processors and algorithms to interpret and input those gestures or movements into a gaming or other application in a meaningful way. Microphones and voice recognition software are also available for detecting and interpreting speech for inputting data, words, or commands.
As helpful as each of these input devices may be individually, the proliferation of these input devices can complicate the user's experience and clutter his or her limited workspace. This is particularly the case if the user is traveling, or even if he or she wishes to move her laptop from one room to another at work or at home.